Danaya Esperanza and Sam Lilja are the star (-crossed lovers)s of “Romeo & Juliet.” (Photo by Tony Powell courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company)

It’s fitting that Shakespeare Theatre Company’s wildly popular Free For All series is currently spotlighting the Bard’s most populist work: Romeo & Juliet. Now in its 28th iteration, Free For All has grown into a summertime staple in the District, one that’s outlasted the equally beloved Screen on the Green film fest hosted on the Mall (R.I.P., the HBO dance).

Though the quality of these shows can be hit or miss, the price of entry will set you back zero dollars: Complimentary tickets are distributed via an online lottery and in-person two hours prior to curtain. It’s hard to quibble when the cost is only your time and effort.

Still: Worry not. Your time and effort will reap disproportionate rewards this go-round. Romeo & Juliet is stylish and solid, a gratis redo of the company’s 2016 production. Shakespeare snobs may sniff and deem the selection of Romeo & Juliet as too obvious, introductory, basic. But this staging, directed by STC’s associate artistic director Alan Paul, is given a well-executed, modern gloss that highlights (surprise!) the timelessness and relevance of a familiar tragedy.

Star-crossed romance aside, this is a story about tribalism. Montague versus Capulet. Liberal versus conservative. Democrat versus Republican. That love, of all things, can bridge the chasm seems laughably simplistic. And yet, Romeo & Juliet makes a convincing, humanist case to the contrary. Its playwright may just be onto something.

This contemporary take on Romeo & Juliet unfolds in what appears to be a modern-day New Orleans mansion. Dane Laffrey’s set is fashioned from regal, burgundy wood. It’s presented (following the Bard’s instruction) as “a palace of dim night,” courtesy of Jen Schriever’s naturalistic lighting design. A diamond-shaped booth of one-way mirrors, placed dead-center on the stage, unveils new revelations as the tale progresses.

Stripped away of these theatrical ornaments, what’s left are exciting performances, which alone are worth entry into Sidney Harman Hall. Hurry there to see E. Faye Butler as the nurse, Romeo & Juliet’s scene-stealer. But the title duo—Sam Lilja and Danaya Esperanza, respectively—bring vibrant, hopeful adolescence to life. You think their teenage love story sucks? Log into Tinder for a week and tell me which story is the true tragedy. Pass the poison, please.

Romeo & Juliet at Shakespeare Theatre Company runs through Sept. 2, various times, tickets distributed via lottery here or outside Sidney Harman Hall two hours prior to curtain.